The Quality of Superior Seedless Bunches during Shelf Life as Determined by Growth on Different Rootstocks

Abstract

Vineyard rootstocks are an important tool in the local and international market for growing the Superior Seedless grape cultivar, which is highly favored by customers. As a result, it is vital to pay close attention to the quality of clusters during handling. The current study aimed to determine whether Superior Seedless vines can be grown on specific rootstocks, resulting in higher quality during shelf life. Vines of the Superior Seedless vine cultivar that were used were 13 years old and had been grown on sandy soil. These vines were grafted onto four different rootstocks (genotypes), namely Freedom, 1103 Paulsen, SO4, and Own Root. The soluble solids content (SSC%) was selected as 16%. Bunches were subsequently stored in the lab at 27 ± 1 °C with 57 ± 3% air relative humidity for three days. Rootstock 1103 Paulsen’s quality was found to be superior to that of the other rootstocks, according to the results of the study. Rootstock 1103 Paulsen maintained its ascorbic acid (AA) content, which is reflected in its antioxidant capacity, according to the results. In addition, lipid peroxidation accumulation and ion leakage percentages indicated that oxidative reactions were at their lowest levels. The results show that 1103 Paulsen decreases cellular metabolism enzyme activities at the shelf life level and improves the bunch quality of Superior Seedless (scion) grapes within 4 days of application. As a whole, the results show that the 1103 Paulsen rootstock produces Superior Seedless bunches of a high quality that is preserved throughout the shelf life period.